Book Review: The King’s Daughter – A Novel of the First Tudor Queen by Sandra Worth

Sandra Worth has written a gripping dramatic historical novel based on the ruthless rise to power of the Tudor court. The King’s Daughter is a complex history that is presented through the eyes of Elizabeth of York, the King’s Daughter who became the first Tudor Queen upon marrying the usurper Henry Tudor.

Bewitched from the beginning, I was a captive reader until the last page. This book is an Elizabethan page-turner that offers realistic melodrama, intrigue and suspense, illegitimacy and bigamy, plotting and murder, and love and hate from fifteenth century European history.

Unrequited love and self sacrifice surround Elizabeth’s life. Her only true happiness is the joy she receives from the birth of her son Prince Arthur, heir to the throne. As Elizabeth the Good learns, marrying Prince Charming does not always guarantee you get you a prince. King Henry VI is the antithesis of the Queen. Virtually invisible, and supplicant to Henry’s mother, Elizabeth is forever pleading with King Henry to grant leniency when punishing his enemies. In most cases begging is wasted on his heartless unmerciful soul.

This novelhas been researched with careful attention to historic accuracy and details. Author’s notes clarifying the writer’s process, historical notes and bibliography are included.

The King’s Daughter is an evocative tapestry of the time that presents a history lesson with each passionate page. Sandra Worth tells historical fiction with an enchanting allure, making expectations for her next novel an impatient wait. I highly recommend this book.